FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

OLYMPIAN LENNY KRAYZELBURG OPENS ANNUAL SWIM COMPETITION

It's the YMCA National Short Course - where America's Olympians begin

Ft. Lauderdale, April 3, 2005 - Fourteen hundred amateur swimmers from 35 states compete this week before 4,000 spectators in the nation's longest-running, most popular amateur swim and diving championships - the YMCA Short Course, now in its 82nd year. Olympic gold medalist and world record holder Lenny Krayzelburg opens the four-day event at 5:45 p.m., Monday, April 4, in the north spectator stands of the Fort Lauderdale Aquatics Complex. Krayzelburg is two-time USA Swimmer of the Year. His appearance sets the stage for the Athletes' Welcome Party, anticipated annually as an evening of fancy dress, processions and dancing.

Preliminary swim events in the National Short Course begin Tuesday morning, April 5 at 9:00 a.m., formal opening ceremonies at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, and Swimming Finals begin at 6:00 p.m.

Elite level competition at the Y? Well, yes! Seventy-seven years ago, YMCA swimmer Walter Laufer claimed gold, silver and bronze in the 800 free relay, 100 back and 100 free style, at the Amsterdam Olympics. The year was 1928. It was only the beginning. More than 40 YMCA Olympians got their start and early swimming experience at their local YMCAs, including: seven-Gold-Medal-Winner Mark Spitz, Donna De Varona, Debbie Meyer, Kim Linehan, Betsy Mitchell, Janel Jorgensen, Steve Bigelow, Anita Nall, Eric Namesnik, Joe Hudepohl, Jenny Thompson, Ian Crocker, Dana Torres, Josh Davis, and Tripp Schwenk. The Ys' Olympic diving medalists include Robert Clotworthy, Sam Hall, Tom Gompf, Rick Gilbert, Leslie Bush and Mary Ellen Clark.

And it's easy to believe that Olympians of the future will be perfecting their skills in the Ys' short course this week. But what will distinguish the YMCA athlete at this, one of the fastest courses in the nation, is not only speed and professional skills but also the values and sense of team, deeply ingrained in the YMCA training system. "YMCAs have traditionally been the places where young people learned not only swimming skills but also life skills," said Augie Mendoza, youth sports director, YMCA of the USA. "Local Ys bring here not only their likely medalists but younger swimmers still perfecting their skills. The Nationals are the place to celebrate a year of training, to showcase skills and to return home with one more Y experience of character building."

A YMCA opened the nation's first indoor pool in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1885, developed pool filtration in 1909, the same year the Ys began an ambitious campaign "to teach every man and boy in North America to swim." Today as many girls as boys - and many adults - learn to swim and swim safely at their YMCA, as many as 1,000,000 new swimmers a year.

The National YMCA Short Course closes Friday evening, April 8.

To find the YMCA nearest you, visit www.ymca.net

YMCA of the USA is national resource office for America's 2,595 YMCAs, collectively the nation's largest community service organization and charity of choice. YMCAs serve 18.9 million people, including 9.3 million children through a broad range of programs. YMCAs are for people of all faiths, races, ages, incomes and abilities. Financial assistance is available. Visit www.ymca.net.

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